JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is trying to block his chief of staff from having to testify in a lawsuit over an airport dispute.
The Clarion Ledger reports the attorney general’s office filed written arguments to a federal appeals court on behalf of the governor.
Bryant signed a 2016 law to create a nine-person regional governing board for Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport. The current five-member board is appointed by Jackson officials.
The majority-black city sued to block the law. Critics say the change is a hostile takeover by white suburban interests.
A federal district judge said last month that Bryant’s chief of staff, Joey Songy (SAHN-jee), must answer questions under oath. Bryant is asking an appeals court to block that. Former deputy chief of staff Drew Snyder testified last year.
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Information from: The Clarion Ledger, http://www.clarionledger.com
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